The present invention relates to dispensers. More particularly, the present invention relates to powder dispensers.
One of the difficulties with dispensing powder is that the powder being dispensed tends to get caught in the creases, cracks or grooves on the interior surfaces of the dispenser. Also, to powder often collects on the interior surface of the dispenser resulting in incomplete dispensing of the powder. Problems with dispensing powder using conventionally know dispensers is exasperated when the powder is extremely fine, such as in the case of powdered milk or baby formula. As is known, baby formula is sold in a multi-serving container with a dispensing Scoop. Unfortunately, the multi-serving containers are considered too large to conveniently carry around.
FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a prior art powdered milk dispenser 100 with a plurality of dispensing compartments. The prior art powdered milk dispenser 100 has a body section 101 and a top section 107. The top section 107 is configured with a spout 104 and a cap 111. Typically, the art powdered milk dispenser 100 has three compartments 102, 103 and 105, with the third compartment 102 being adjacent to compartments 103 and 105. The compartments 102, 103 and 105 are separated by walls 122, 123 and 125. In use, the spout 104 is aligned over one of the compartments 102, 103 or 105 containing powdered milk. After the spout 104 is aligned over one of the compartments 102, 103 or 105, then the dispenser 100 is placed in an inverted dispensing direction 117 with the cap 111 off of the spout 104 and with the spout 104 over a mouth portion 115 of a baby bottle, as shown in FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the powdered milk dispenser 100 inverted and dispensing powdered milk. Because the interior surfaces of the cap portion 107 are at an angle xcex8 that is approximately 90 degrees relative to the inverted dispensing direction 117, a significant amount of powder residue 114 powder is collected and retained on the interior surfaces of the cap 107. Generally, even knocking the dispenser fails to completely remove all residue 114. This can be problematic, especially for powdered milk, since retention of the powdered milk in humid or moist conditions can lead to spoilage and bacteria formation. Thus, the powdered milk dispenser 100 needs to be thoroughly washed after each use to remove the retained portions of the powdered milk. Because of the numerous compartments and surfaces of the powdered milk dispenser 100, cleaning is laborious. Further, because the width W of the body 101 is wider than a standard baby bottle, the dispenser 100 can not be stored in compartments of a tote-bag or other storage compartments that are designed or sized to hold baby bottles. Yet a further shortcoming of the prior powdered milk dispenser 100, is that the user must properly gauge the rotation of the top section 107 such that the spout 104 is directly over the appropriate compartment 102, 103 or 105. In the event that the spout 104 is positioned between any two of the compartments 102, 103 or 105, inaccurate or incomplete dispensing of the powdered will result.
The current invention is for an improved powder dispensing system. The system has a dispenser body with a dispenser orifice through which powder is dispensed. The dispenser preferably has a cap that removably covers the dispenser orifice by snugly fitting around a lip section of the orifice and is attached to the dispenser body through strap element.
The dispenser orifice is preferably round and between 1 and 3 cm in diameter, such that the lip section of the dispenser orifice fits into a top portion of a baby bottle. The interior surfaces of the dispenser body are smooth and are angled less than 90 degrees relative to the inverted dispensing direction such that a powder is capable of being fully dispensed by inverting the dispenser and without significant collection or retention of the powder on interior surfaces of the dispenser.
Preferably, the dispenser body is formed from a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion has the dispenser orifice and a top brim section with a predetermined geometry. Preferably, the predetermined geometry of the top brim section is round. Alternatively, the geometry is square or any other suitable geometry. The bottom portion has a bottom brim section that is geometrically matched with the top brim section, whereby the top brim section and the bottom brim section are capable of being detachably coupled to each other to form a dispenser body with smooth interior dispensing surfaces.
The top brim and the bottom brim section are detachably coupled with pressure snap features, wherein one of the top or the bottom brim fits over the other brim and snaps securely into position. Alternatively, the top brim and the bottom brim are configured with complimentary twist threads and the top portion and the bottom portion of the dispenser are detachably coupled by aligning the top brim section to the bottom brim section and twisting the top and the bottom portions in opposite directions relative to each other.
In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser is formed from a plastic or polymer material and the bottom portion is sufficiently transparent such that the quantity of powder within the dispenser is visible. The bottom portion is also preferably cylindrical and the top portion is preferably funnel-shaped. Further, the dispenser is preferably in the range of 5-15 cm tall and 3-7 cm wide. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention the powder dispenser is configured to hold 1 to 4 serving of powdered milk, equaling approximately 2 to 8 ounces of liquid formula, and has dimensions such that the dispenser can be readily stored within a compartment sized to hold a baby bottle. Also, the bottom section preferably has graduated marks to indicate the amount of powder that is dispensed.